Wednesday, February 19, 2014

For me, one of the most difficult questions to answer
is “what is your favorite book?” I have faced this question a couple of times
recently and each time, although I could name in a single breath a dozen titles
I love with passion, I cannot name one that stands above them all without
feeling that I do an injustice to some extent to another. However, if that
question is limited to the past 10 years, then my answer is crystal clear, Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s “The Shadow of the Wind”. “The Shadow
of the Wind” is a tremendous novel that put me in a reading spree after just
its first couple of pages and made my fingers twitch when I was away from my
copy of the book. Since then I devoured everything written by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
and though I was a bit disappointed by “The
Angel’s Game”, the second novel in his “Cemetery
of Forgotten Books” series, I was pleasantly surprised to see the third, “The Prisoner of Heaven”, not only
making me relive the beauty of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s writing, but also making
“The Angel’s Game” a better book on retrospective and with the new elements of
the entire story taken into consideration. With my great love for “The Shadow
of the Wind” and the other novels of Carlos Ruiz Zafón I was thrilled to see
the work done by Subterranean Press
for their special editions of these books. Especially when it comes to the book
covers and interior illustrations where Vincent
Chong worked his magic. On all the three covers for Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s
“Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series, Vincent Chong seems to perfectly capture
an important part of the essence and soul of the novels, setting the perfect
atmosphere for the readers who open the books for the first time as well as for
those who return once more to these wonderful books. And if you head to “The Prisoner of Heaven” page on Subterranean Press’ website you can find four of
the interior illustrations made by Vincent Chong for this edition.

Carlos
Ruiz Zafon’s “secret history of Barcelona” continues, to mesmerizing effect, inThe
Prisoner of Heaven,
the third installment in his steadily deepening portrait of an endlessly
fascinating city, at the heart of which lies the mysterious and seductive
Cemetery of Forgotten Books.

The
story begins, appropriately enough, in a bookstore, when Daniel Sempere (a
figure familiar to readers ofThe Shadow of the Wind) encounters a mysterious stranger who leaves an
enigmatic message for Fermin Romero de Torres, Daniel’s oldest and closest friend.
That message leads to a series of revelations regarding Fermin’s previously
undisclosed past. Those revelations move the story from its point of departure
in 1957 to the darker, more oppressive Barcelona of 1940, when the brutal
Fascist regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco assumed undisputed leadership
of Spain. What follows is a political horror story that involves Fermin, a
corrupt prison administrator, and imprisoned novelist David Martin, whose
Faustian bargain formed the central thread of Zafon’s 2009 novel,The
Angel’s Game.
The story Fermin tells, which encompasses murder, literary fraud, and a hidden
cache of stolen money, reaches from the squalor of a subterranean cell into
Daniel’s own life, illuminating some previously obscure corners of his troubled
family history.

The Prisoner of Heavenis sure to speak directly to admirers of Umberto
Eco, Arturo Perez-Reverte, and Alexandre Dumas, whoseThe
Count of Monte Cristoplays
a significant role in the narrative. But it should also appeal to anyone with a
taste for elegant, suspenseful storytelling filled with color, drama, and
unexpected turnings. This is popular fiction at its absolute best, a book that
no one but Carlos Ruiz Zafon could have written.

The Prisoner of Heaven, likeThe Shadow of the WindandThe Angel’s Gamebefore it, has become an international
phenomenon, a best-seller in dozens of countries. Subterranean Press is proud
to announce this deluxe limited edition, which will feature a fine paper (80#
Finch), deluxe cloth, a sewn binding, and be printed in two colors throughout.

Blacknightblues, thank you very much. :) I adore these books and I wish I could afford these limited editions. But although they are a bit expensive for me I can still admire the excellent book covers.

Hanna, thank you very much. :) I highly recommend Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books, especially "The Shadow of the Wind". They are truly unforgettable.